I am applying for a teaching position at an elementary school. In my resume, should I include "survival" jobs such as working at Wal-Mart/Tim Hortons in a seperate section on the resume? I don't know if it might demontsrate that I have certain skills.
Question about resume
- Thread starter stinkynuts
- Start date
You need to establish not only what your skills are, but that you are willing o do "grunt" work, and what the time line is between jobs.stinkynuts said:
BTW, remember to wash your nuts before the interview.
Retail type jobs show customer service experience. Dunno if that helps you or not. I'd only include it if it's a customer service job (i.e., retail) that you're applying for, if you lack experience, or if leaving them off would leave gaps on your resume.
To be honest, an HR person isn't going to read much into those jobs other than to see that you've been employed. It actually hurts you somewhat if you were only employed briefly (6-12 months or less) for a number of consecutive jobs. Screeners will assume you can't keep a job.
If you're sending in a physical copy, print your resume out on a heavier stock of paper and use an off-white colour (I used to use a light grey). Trust me, it makes it stand out when it's in a pile with 100 other resumes.
To be honest, an HR person isn't going to read much into those jobs other than to see that you've been employed. It actually hurts you somewhat if you were only employed briefly (6-12 months or less) for a number of consecutive jobs. Screeners will assume you can't keep a job.
If you're sending in a physical copy, print your resume out on a heavier stock of paper and use an off-white colour (I used to use a light grey). Trust me, it makes it stand out when it's in a pile with 100 other resumes.
If you were briefly employed by those "survival jobs" but you want them in your resume, mention them seperately. First section would be your Professional Experience. Within that you list your experience chronologically with the details of your responsibilities, achievements within the position, etc.
Your "survival" positions would follow in a section titled Additional Work Experience. Just mention the name of the company, your position and the time you worked.
If you have lots of Professional Experience, including volunteer work at schools, coaching little leagues, etc, I wouldn't bother mentioning the grunt jobs... hauling coffee at Tim Horton's has nothing to do with Elementary School teaching. Like Keebler Elf said, HR isn't going to read much into those jobs other than to see that you've been employed. I would focus on direct experience for the position.
Good Luck!
Your "survival" positions would follow in a section titled Additional Work Experience. Just mention the name of the company, your position and the time you worked.
If you have lots of Professional Experience, including volunteer work at schools, coaching little leagues, etc, I wouldn't bother mentioning the grunt jobs... hauling coffee at Tim Horton's has nothing to do with Elementary School teaching. Like Keebler Elf said, HR isn't going to read much into those jobs other than to see that you've been employed. I would focus on direct experience for the position.
Good Luck!
What ava said!
Unless it would leave you with a blank resume, skip anything that doesn't directly deal with kids, leadership, or teamwork. Even something stupid like being president of the AV club in highschool would be better than Walmart.
Also make sure that your cover letter deals with specific applicable things about you and not generic philosophical BS.
Unless it would leave you with a blank resume, skip anything that doesn't directly deal with kids, leadership, or teamwork. Even something stupid like being president of the AV club in highschool would be better than Walmart.
Also make sure that your cover letter deals with specific applicable things about you and not generic philosophical BS.
You don't have to list all jobs in the same manner. You can focus on relevant jobs for their relevance, and on other jobs for how they rounded out your experience. For example, you might list the chronological range, and rather than listing the employers first, list it as something like "Social Employment (Wal-Mart, MacDonalds, J-Crew)", to focus on what aspects of those roles are applicable to the position you're applying for. Maybe interpersonal skills, business / retail life skills, or some other aspect that you can find applicable to the job of interest.
Prospective employers will view gaps in resumes as red flags, but if the gaps are covered they can easily become a positive (or perhaps neutral), if you can show that you learned something relevant from that time. It should be a much thinner paragraph than other, more relevant intervals. And keep in mind that relevance can include a deeper practical understanding of how kids act outside of school, too. (Although I wouldn't overstress it, as some school principals might not agree.)
Remember, the resume is about getting you the interview; the interview is about getting you the job. But if you lie in either, then you're screwed.
Prospective employers will view gaps in resumes as red flags, but if the gaps are covered they can easily become a positive (or perhaps neutral), if you can show that you learned something relevant from that time. It should be a much thinner paragraph than other, more relevant intervals. And keep in mind that relevance can include a deeper practical understanding of how kids act outside of school, too. (Although I wouldn't overstress it, as some school principals might not agree.)
Remember, the resume is about getting you the interview; the interview is about getting you the job. But if you lie in either, then you're screwed.
There's an important detail you have left out: How long would the gaps be if you omitted the joe jobs?
There is a big difference between working at timmys for 2 years, and working there for a couple of months after graduating from school or between good jobs.
If you worked for Tims or whatever for a couple of months here and there between other jobs I'd just leave it off. You can just say you were looking for work during that time.
If there would be a 6+ month gap on your resume then you have to find some way to fill it in. If you were taking a course at the same time or something just mention the course, but if you have nothing there other than Tims I guess maybe you should mention something. Maybe downplay it with "unrelated employment" or something (kind of weak though).
For the future I'd recommend that anyone who has trouble finding the job they want after more than a couple of months should take some kind of part-time course. Later on your resume you can put the course there, and say you worked these crap jobs "to pay your way through school", sounds so much better no?
There is a big difference between working at timmys for 2 years, and working there for a couple of months after graduating from school or between good jobs.
If you worked for Tims or whatever for a couple of months here and there between other jobs I'd just leave it off. You can just say you were looking for work during that time.
If there would be a 6+ month gap on your resume then you have to find some way to fill it in. If you were taking a course at the same time or something just mention the course, but if you have nothing there other than Tims I guess maybe you should mention something. Maybe downplay it with "unrelated employment" or something (kind of weak though).
For the future I'd recommend that anyone who has trouble finding the job they want after more than a couple of months should take some kind of part-time course. Later on your resume you can put the course there, and say you worked these crap jobs "to pay your way through school", sounds so much better no?
You could also say you took time off to care for an ill relative. The only thing that's worse than nothing is prison.fuji said:
Another trick...
Let's say your resume looks like this:
School teacher from April 2000 until July 2005
Tim Hortons from August 2005 to May 2006
Councillor from June 2006 to January 2008
You could just write this on your resume:
2000-2005 School Teacher
2006-2008 Councillor
In other words leave off the months. They may well ask you to fill the months in IN THE INTERVIEW, but the key is at that point you are talking interactively and you have a chance to sell yourself properly then.
Let's say your resume looks like this:
School teacher from April 2000 until July 2005
Tim Hortons from August 2005 to May 2006
Councillor from June 2006 to January 2008
You could just write this on your resume:
2000-2005 School Teacher
2006-2008 Councillor
In other words leave off the months. They may well ask you to fill the months in IN THE INTERVIEW, but the key is at that point you are talking interactively and you have a chance to sell yourself properly then.
I think you could write down that your leadership skills when mongering will have a better effect than the McDonalds jobs. Put the mongering under "Hobbies". The more you write about working at McDonalds, the more questions as to why did you leave, why did you go, is a low salary what you desire again. Why did you leave McDonalds? You couldn't advance in the company you were employed in? Those are what's in store and you will end up lying to defend your position. Never give up your exemption when you don't have to explain it in the first place.stinkynuts said:
A resume is a sign of ultimate disgrace and failure. Send it to teach at a college, otherwise fold it into a paper airplane and toss it from a building in Dubai. Believe me, you'll be happier.
Gyaos Baltar.
Huh???Gyaos said:
Are you saying that you think you're better than someone who needs to provide a resume?
I don't get it. Maybe writing some resumes for yourself would help you to better communicate and get your point across, LOL!
Think about it. With all the money that exists on the planet, less from robbing it, the opportunities that exist in which you can make more money than ever quickly, never requires a "resume". Do people going for millions of dollars ask someone that makes a meager few thousand a month, less taxes, to help them by means of a resume?Keebler Elf said:
On a resume, you write all your failures, in which it is assumed to be accomplishments. Then you send it to be placed inside a massive stack of other resumes and other listings of failures. All together, it looks like one giant Frosty the Snowman of failures, equaling to one gigantic failure. And they all go to the shredder at your expense.
My God, paper airplane it and get financially educated.
Gyaos Baltar.
Oh my goodness. I can't believe you just hijacked a simple, practical tread on resumes with such a Nietzsche-esque existential approach to seeking employment.
Where should he get started with his financial education?Gyaos said:My God, paper airplane it and get financially educated.
